Chain apparatus for generating power by utilizing the force of the current in streams and the like.



A. MARINESGU.

CHAIN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING POWER BY UTILIZING THE FORGE OF THE CURRENT IN STREAMS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED on. 11, 1913.

1,08,033. Patented Feb. 24, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

7M 4' 4 M ATTQRNEY COLUMBIA PLANOOEAPH COHWIASHINUTON. D. c.

A. MARINESOU. CHAIN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING POWER BY UTILIZING THE FORCE OF THE CURRENT IN STREAMS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED 00T.11,1913.

Patented Feb. 24:, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN c0..WAsH|Nc|'roN. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDRU MARINESCU, OFBUCHAREST, ROUMANIA.

CHAIN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING POWER- BY UTILIZING THE FORCE OF THE CURRENT IN STREAMS AND THE LIKE. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDRU MARI- NESOU, a subject of the King of Roumania, residing at No. 40 Alea Blank A, Bucharest, Roumania, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain Apparatus for Generating Power by Utilizing the Force of the Current in Streams and the like, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to chain apparatus for generating power by utilizing the force of the current in streams and the like of the type comprising rotary vanes connected to the chain, in such a manner that said vanes take up automatically the positions which are suitable for traveling when under load and when traveling idly or inoperative.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus of this kind and to this end the improvements consist in the following: The axles of the vanes which serve to drive the chains of the apparatus act upon an adjusting lever which is adapted at one end to rotate in a horizontal plane around an axle fixed to the chains, while its other end slides in an adjusting slot fixed to the vane. The said slot is provided with stopping members arranged in cross fashion adapted to act upon the adjusting lever, in such a manner that along the stretch b 0 cl where the chains change the direction of their motion through 180 degrees, the vanes first turn together with the chains through 90 relatively to the current andthen cease turning and remain in the direction of the current, while the chains continue their travel for completing the turn of 180. During this latter phase of the movement the adjusting lever instead of locking the vane to the chains as has hitherto been the case, slides in the adjusting slot without influencing theposition of the vane which is parallel to the current in which it is maintained by the current itself, while not al lowing it to take any other direction.

An embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which Figure'l is a plan of the general arrangement of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is ,a partial section, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the mechanism for adjusting the vanes.

One or more frames 2, 2'. are fixed on Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed October 11, 1913.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914. Serial No. 794,635.

floats 1, l constitutingtwo floating structures located in a stream in such a manner as to remain stationary in the direction of a current of the said stream, but capable of vertical movement. For this apparatus the structures may be anchored by any suitable means. In the case shown, the floats 1, 1' slide in the slots 4, in such a manner that they can move vertically according to the level of the water in the stream. Each of the two floats 1, 1 is provided with a chain drum 3, 3 respectively having vertical axles. These drums are encircled by two or more endless chains-7 at a suitable distance one above the other. The chains pass also around the rollers 11 which serve to form a curved path for the chains of a radius greater than the radii of the drums 3 and 3,

The vanes 13 are attached to the chains in a vertical position, in such a manner that along the stretches bc and f-a, they will rotate together with the chains through 90 relatively to the current of the stream, whereas along the stretch a-b, they will be pushed by the current into a position at right angles to the latter. Along the stretch cd and e] on the contrary they will return against the current while keeping the positions parallel to the stream, and while in this position they will be moved back by the chains, so that the vanes shall oppose the least possible resistance to the current of the stream. The motion which is imparted to the chains by the vanes may be transmitted and utilized in any suitable manner, for instance by means of a pulley 15 with its rope, etc.

According to the manner generally employed, the vanes are made of such a weight as will enable them not only to maintain themselves in position by floating, but also to support the corresponding portion of the chains which bears upon them. The floating member 13 is located as near as possible to the surface of the water. When a vane passes from the powerfgenerating stretch ab to the idle stretch de or vice versa, it is compelled to make aturn through 90 relatively to the current. If it were attached rigidly to the chains, it would make a turn of 180 which would bring it broadside against the current. -Now for the pur- 'move in the direction of its .own length.

pose of retarding by 90 the rotation'of the vanes relatively-to the chains, there is employed according to the present invention the following arrangement: The shaft 25 of the vanes 13 rotates in a sleeve 26, which is fixed vertically to the chains 7. A vertical rod 27' is also fixed to the chains at a certain distance from the sleeve 26, which in cooperation with the rod 27, serves to adjust the vane through the medium of an adjusting lever 21. This lever is movable in a horizontal plane about the rod 27 and is pivoted to the latter. The lever is provided with a slot 22 which permits it to turn about the axle 25 of the vane and also to 111; its free end the lever 21 is provided with a pin 28 which engages in an adjusting slot 19, 19 formed in a member fixed to the vane. It is of advantage to form the slot 19, 19' in .a hollow cap plate such as 37 fixed to the vane 13. The axes of the parts 25 and 27 have relatively tothe chains, an invariable .position, with the result that when that portion ofthe chains upon which they are mounted passes from the curved parts on to the straight parts or on to parts of different curvature or vice versa, the distance between the axes of 25 and 27 will be varied. This variation of the distance be tween the axes is utilized in order to adjust the vanes by means of the adjusting slot 19, 19 and the lever 21.

i The slot 19, 19 is constructed in such a manner that for a determined variation of the distance between the axes of the parts 25, and 27, especially after the vane has made a turn of 90 relatively to the current, the unison of rotary movement between the chains and the vane will cease with the result that the pin 28 will slide in the slot 19, 19 without influencing the position of the vane parallel to the current, because this part of the slot 19, '19 corresponds to the free travel of the pin 28, while the vane remains parallel to the current and is maintained in this position by the said pin. The following are the various phases of the move ment: When a vane 13 is traveling in the direction of the stream along the stretch ab which is parallel to the saiddirection, so that the vane will be at right angles to the current, the pin 28 will be situated at the .point 29 of the slot 19, 19 (Fig.4). As soon as the axle 25 enters the quadrantshaped stretch b-c ofthe path of the chains .(Fig. l), the'distance between the axles 25 and 27 will begin to diminish and the pin will begin to move in the slot 19, 19' toward the point 30. When the axes 25 and 27 have entered the quadrant bc, the pin 28 will not have yet reached the point 30 because it must still hold the vane fixed to the chain vuntil thelatterhas become again parallelto the current, that is to say, when it shall have rotated through 90 relatively to the current. When the axle 25 passes beyond the point 0 the distance between the axles 25 and 27 will again diminish, the pin 28 will have reached the point 30 of the slot and from that moment the rigid connection as regards rotary motion between the chain and the vane will cease. The pin 28 will slide in the groove '19, 19 and will leave the vane under the sole influence of the chain which will carry it alongparallel to the stream, while bringing it to take up any other position relatively to the stream. The pin 28 thus slides in the slot 19, 19 toward the point 31 where it arrives at the moment when the axle 27 has reached the point d in the path of the chain. Before reaching the point 31, the pin 28 will become disengaged from an elastic catch 32 (Fig. 3), which is fixed to the vane and serves to prevent the pin 28 from entering anew the portion 3130 of the slot when the vane shall have arrived at the other end of the machine, and the distance between the axles 25 and 27 will be varied again. This catch, has, on the contrary, the function of compelling the pin 28 to enter the following portion of the path leading toward the point 33 of the slot 19, 19'.

The vane 13 and its adjusting devices remain in an invariable position relatively to the chain from the moment the axle 27 moves away from the point (Z until the axle 25 reaches the point c. When the axle 25 passes beyond the point e the distance between the axles 25 and 27 will again diminish. The vane first remains parallel to the current because the pin 28 is sliding freely in the slot 19, 19 up to the point 33 which corresponds to the moment when the axle 25 is situated at the point f without producing any rotation of the vane, and while holding it in its position parallel to the stream. From the point 33, the pin 28 slides in the slot 19, 19, while at the same time compelling the vane to rotate gradually through 90, whereupon it escapes from the elastic catch 32 and arrives at the point 34 at the moment when the axle 27 has reached the point a in the path of the chains. The adjusting slot should be composed of two equal parts "19, 19 following on to each other because to one complete circuit of the chains there corresponds a rotation of 180 degrees of the vanes about the axis of the axle 25. The points 30', 31' of the slot 19 correspond to the points 30, 31 of the groove 19.

The elastic catches 32 are shown as being visible iniFig. 4:, although they are not situated above the plate 37. This is done for the purpose of greater clearness in the drawings.

-Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:'

1. A power generator of the kind described, comprising in combination, a plurality of rotatable drums mounted on vertical axes, an endless chain passing around said drums, means for supporting said drums and chain above the level of the stream, vanes suspended from the chain and immersed in a running stream, means for so automatically and pivotally adjusting the vanes, that when they are in operation they move at right angles to the running stream, but when they are out of operation they move edgewise with the stream, and means for transmitting the power developed.

2. A power generator of the kind described comprising in combination a plurality of rotatable drums mounted on vertical aXes, an endless chain around said drums, floating supports for maintaining said drums above the level of the stream, vanes suspended from the chain and immersed in a running stream, means for so automatically and pivotally adjusting the vanes that during the operative stretch of the chain the vanes turn through an angle of 180, and present a broad face to the stream, while during the non-operative stretch they move edgewise with the stream, and means on one of the drums for transmitting the power developed.

3. A power generator of the kind described, comprising in combination, a plurality of rotatable drums, supports for said drums, an endless chain passing around said drums, guide pulleys for one side of said chain so that the operative side of the chain will be farther from thedrums than the nonoperative side, vanes suspended from the chain and immersed in a running stream, cam means for so automatically and pivotally adjusting the vanes that when they are in operation they move at right angles to the running stream, but when they are out of operation they move edgewise with the stream, and means for transmitting the power developed.

4. A power generator of the kind described, comprising in combination a plurality of rotatable drums, supports for said drums, an endless chain passing around said drums guide pulleys for one side of said chain so that the operative side of the chain will be farther from the drums than the nonoperative side, a plurality of vanes, plates thereon, means for suspending the plates and vanes from the chain, a lever on each plate attached at one end to the chain and capable of lengthwise movement, a pin at its opposite end, a cam groove in the plate, for engaging said pin, so that the moving-vanes on the operative side of the chain will be at right angles thereto, but on the non-operative side will be parallel therewith, and means on one of the drums for transmitting the power developed.

5. A power generator of the kind described, comprising in combination, a plural ity of rotatable drums, supports for said drums, an endless chain passing around said drums, guide pulleys for one side of said chain so that the operative side of the chain will be farther from the drums than thenonoperative side, a plurality of vanes, plates thereon, a stem on each plate for suspending the vanes from the chain immersed in the stream, a slotted lever on each plate attached at one end to the chain, the slot engaging said stem so that the lever is capable of lengthwise movement, a pin at the opposite end of the lever, a cam groove in the plate for engaging said pin, elastic catches adjacent the cam groove, whereby the moving vanes on the operative side of the chain will be at right angles thereto but on the nonoperative side will be parallel therewith and means on one of the drums for transmitting the power developed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDRU MARINESCU.

Witnesses THEO Trreu, M. URECHIA.

Copiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

